Entering another ethereal world 3
Pei Suqin, who had become a priest, participated in his first priest examination, and the examiner he faced was Nan Zhi.
That was the first time Pei Suqin had the idea of wanting to understand the relationship between Nan Zhi and Fu Lin. She wanted to know what this woman had used to attract Fu Lin.
Before long, Pei Suqin and Nan Zhi's relationship progressed steadily. Although the two had differences in official rank and seniority, Nan Zhi always jokingly said that she and Pei Suqin were friends despite their age difference.
Because Pei Suqin was Fulin's disciple, Nan Zhi treated her better. She would occasionally talk about Fulin.
The words of "Fu Lin" spoken by Nan Zhi always carried only respect for the person in question and kindness towards a close friend. She seemed completely oblivious to any romantic feelings involved.
Pei Suqin secretly asked the other officials: "The gods all say that Nan Zhi and Fu Lin are a perfect couple, so why aren't they together?"
It is said that Fu Lin had long since renounced worldly life and was no longer attached to love. Nan Zhi, on the other hand, was a highly accomplished priest, no less so than Fu Lin. Naturally, like Fu Lin, she had long since let go of worldly attachments. How could two people who were unattached to love possibly fall for each other?
Pei Suqin was skeptical, but she wanted to try again and have Nan Zhi say it herself. So one day, Pei Suqin found an opportunity to invite Nan Zhi for drinks.
After she had drunk enough, she cautiously probed, "Lord Nanzhi, I've heard everyone say that you, my master, and the Heavenly Lord were all in the same batch of people who ascended to become gods?"
Nan Zhi sipped her wine and said, "No. How can I compare to your master?"
Pei Suqin then asked, "What did my master do when he became an immortal? He seemed so pure and detached from worldly desires. Did he cultivate the path of ruthlessness and injustice?"
Upon hearing this, Nan Zhi laughed heartily: "Your master cultivates the righteous path of humanity. Your master is not heartless and ungrateful; he is the one with feelings and righteousness."
"What do you mean?" Pei Suqin continued to probe, "Lord Nanzhi, please explain more clearly. Did my master also experience the trials of the seven emotions and six desires in the past?"
Nan Zhi drank another cup of wine, her face flushed and she felt a little dizzy. She blurted out, "I don't know either. Why don't you try to find out? I also want to know about this. We can joke about it then..."
Pei Suqin was both surprised and delighted, and couldn't wait to ask, "Are you saying that my master hasn't overcome his emotional hurdle yet?"
But she couldn't wait for Nan Zhi's reply; Nan Zhi had already fallen asleep on the table.
Pei Suqin has always been clever. From these few words and her recent interactions, she realized one thing: even if Nan Zhi and her master are the girlfriends of a golden boy, they may not be destined lovers. Furthermore, since they don't like each other, she has a chance.
Pei Suqin searched for a long time, but couldn't find a single clue. Finally, Fulan arrived in the realm of gods.
Pei Suqin couldn't contain her excitement and ran to find him, only to catch a glimpse of the Heavenly Emperor and Fulin strolling in the Heavenly Palace. She stepped forward to greet him, and Fulin smiled and praised her, saying that she had done well in the divine official assessment and was a qualified divine official.
The Heavenly Emperor looked Pei Suqin up and down and praised her gently: "The disciple you teach is naturally good."
Pei Suqin was both surprised and delighted: "Thank you for your praise, Heavenly Lord."
The Heavenly Emperor raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It's obvious that she's the one who's most attached to you."
“She entered Fengqin Mountain at a young age, so naturally she treats me as family, and we are naturally closer.” Fulin looked at Pei Suqin with a face full of relief. “Aqin, your master and the Heavenly Lord have important matters to discuss. How about we sit down and chat again next time when your master comes here?”
Pei Suqin nodded meekly and turned to leave.
After that, Pei Suqin didn't wait for Fulin to come to her; instead, she received even more assessment tasks. Those demons and monsters were simply too powerful, and Pei Suqin was unable to complete this round of divine official assessments.
She was secretly mocked by her fellow priests for not being able to defeat even a mere minor demon. Furthermore, as a disciple of Fulin, she was seen as disrespectful and unfit for any important task.
Pei Suqin had never heard such words before; she had always been greeted with praise. Moreover, what she hated most was that the priests said she was unworthy to be a disciple of the Blessing Master!
Fueled by childhood cravings for comfort and a deep-seated hatred, Pei Suqin secretly descended to the mortal realm. She returned to Fengqin Mountain, initially hiding in a deserted bamboo forest. Covered in wounds, she would soak in the clear water pool.
Yet, there was a moment of suffocation here.
After leaving the clear water pool, on his way back to the bamboo grove, he saw Fulin. He knew she had returned.
“It was wrong of you to descend to the mortal realm without permission,” Fu Lin sighed.
Pei Suqin turned his head away and remained silent.
"You're injured, it's better to heal before going back."
As Fu Lin was about to leave, Pei Suqin swiftly stepped forward and grabbed Fu Lin's sleeve: "Master!"
Fu Lin looked at Pei Suqin, who had a pained expression on his face: "What's wrong?"
Pei Suqin hesitated for a long time before finally mustering her courage: "Master... they all laugh at me. They say I'm not worthy to be your disciple. Master... do you also think I'm stupid...?"
As she spoke, Pei Suqin burst into tears, her face streaked with tears, a pitiful sight. Fu Lin reached out and patted Pei Suqin's shoulder: "How could that be? You are all disciples I personally chose. As your teacher, I love each and every one of you."
Perhaps because Pei Suqin had cried so bitterly, Fulin had stayed by her side these past few days. This made Pei Suqin's heart, which had wanted to hide her love, open up again.
At night, she watched Fulin say goodbye and leave, leaving behind her silhouette again and again, causing her immense pain. At that moment, Pei Suqin finally understood that her love was too overwhelming, and she didn't want to hide it.
Pei Suqin still remembered the day she wanted to express her love by touching the bamboo fan; it was a sunny and breezy day. The clouds and mist in the mountains were less than usual, and the songs sung by the birds in the forest were more melodious.
No matter how sunny or beautiful the day was, Fu Lin rejected her love. She cried bitterly and heartbrokenly. Not knowing how to face Fu Lin, she ran away.
Running frantically, her wounds, which hadn't fully healed, reopened. The excruciating pain left Pei Suqin weak, and in this double agony, she once again stepped into the clear water pool.
Despair was magnified infinitely at this moment, and Pei Suqin fell down like a withered leaf, sinking into the water.
Everything was swallowed up, everything was destroyed, and it all started anew.
Time and space are intertwined, past and present, multiple scenes are interwoven: the past Pei Suqin is crying by the underground river, the past Pei Suqin is crying out to escape, the past Pei Suqin is bleeding from the mouth and dying tragically.
It is the explosive pain piercing Huaiwen's entire body now; it is Huaiwen hearing the whispers of demons in the ears of wild ghosts and lonely spirits; it is Huaiwen seeing the plundering and looting of all living beings, powerless to fight back.
There was a force emanating from the stone tablet, drawing away Huaiwen's life essence, seemingly trying to tear her soul away. Huaiwen was unable to move; her head was tilted back, her body forced to suspend in the air, and she heard a few words in her ear.
"Come in, come to us."
"Entrust you to us, and let us together move towards the light."
"From now on, I am you, and we coexist."
"Promise me, and you will live."
Survival was the instinct at that moment. Huaiwen silently promised, "Live, live, I will live."
At that moment, the blue light pierced through, severing the link between Huaiwen and the stone tablet. A massive shockwave churned the underground river, and crystals fell from the stone walls. The subtle glimmers on the stone walls vanished in an instant.
Death was imminent, but at that moment, Huaiwen was embraced by someone around the waist. In her semi-conscious state, she saw that the person who came to save her was her master, whom she had not seen for a long time.
Holding the unconscious Huaiwen in his arms, Fu Lin was overwhelmed with emotions, but the stone tablet was still pulsating. He then cast a spell to seal the stone tablet and left underground with Huaiwen.
Just as Fulin carried Huaiwen outside the bamboo house, he sensed a murderous aura. Onikiri ran out first, initially excited to greet Huaiwen, but seeing her unconscious, he cried out in worry.
A stream of fire shot out from within, and Fu Lin dodged it. A powerful force pulled Huai Wen from Fu Lin's embrace, but Fu Lin then held him back.
Fire and ice clashed, reaching their peak before exploding. The Demon Slayer beneath Huaiwen caught him faster and closer than the other two.
Onikiri cried out, "Lord A-Gun seems to have stopped breathing!"
In an instant, Fulin and Xuanye were in front of Huaiwen. Both of them reached out to hug Huaiwen, while Guimie and Guiqie stood there, neither of them belonging to either of them.
Fu Lin glanced at Xuan Ye: "I am her master."
Upon hearing this, the two little monsters twisted their bodies and turned to Furu, tears streaming down their faces: "Master, what should we do? Lord A-Gun, is he dead...?"
Fu Lin reached out and, without saying a word, picked up Huai Wen and carried him into the house, with Xuan Ye following closely behind.
He placed Huaiwen on the bed and began to circulate his energy to heal him. After a long time, he withdrew his hand. He took a breath and looked at Xuan Ye, who was standing there with a cold expression. He then sent Gui Mie Gui Qie outside to boil water.
Fu Lin rose and landed by the bedside, her expression calm: "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Xuan Ye was seething with anger, but he forcibly suppressed it and coldly questioned, "What happened to her?"
Fu Lin smiled calmly: "She's fine. She just held her breath in the pool and was affected by Pei Suqin's traces, so she fainted. Answer my question first."
Xuan Ye's eyes were like sharp blades. He didn't answer, but walked to the bedside. He glanced disdainfully at Fu Lin, then looked at the sleeping Huai Wen and coldly ordered, "Get up."
Fu Lin could see the anger written all over Xuan Ye's eyes. He sized Xuan Ye up, but instead of getting up, he advised, "I am her master, and I have the right and should sit in this position. What about you?"
Xuan Ye turned to the side, looking down at Fu Lin, and stretched out his hand, igniting a ball of fire in the air as a substitute for an answer.
The fire, like cherry blossoms, bloomed layer by layer, each layer a different color. First, it was crimson, then rouge, then begonia red, then pale burgundy, and finally cherry blossom pink.
This is the signature foxfire of the Demon King Lingshan Xuanye.
Fu Lin was slightly surprised, as this was unexpected, but he quickly calmed down and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Xuan Ye first glanced at the sleeping Huai Wen, then at Fu Lin, and replied casually yet playfully, "Isn't my intention here obvious?"
Alright! She's taken a liking to his apprentice.
Fu Lin's heart was filled with ripples. How long had he been in seclusion? How long had it been since he last saw his beloved disciple? And yet, he had already been targeted by the demons outside!
"Aren't you going to move aside?" Xuan Ye asked with a smile, but it was a smile that concealed a knife.
Fu Lin frowned, said nothing, but slowly got up, made way for himself, and sat down on the stool next to him.
He watched as Xuan Ye sat down, gently took Huai Wendi's left hand, and softly lifted her sleeve, wanting to check the traces of the red spider lily on her hand, but found that the traces had disappeared. He then glanced at himself.
Dusk had fallen, but the mountain air suddenly became stuffy. Fu Lin looked out the window at the fallen, withered leaves, then turned to look at Huai Wen on the bed, and then at Xuan Ye, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
"It's getting dark," Fulin said softly.
These words were clearly meant to get rid of him. But Xuan Ye ignored them. He turned around and covered Huai Wen with the blanket, then stared at Huai Wen's face carefully.
Fu Lin smiled calmly and continued, "Even if your intentions are obvious, you can't just sit here and wait tonight. I'll have those two little monsters keep you company."
Xuan Ye didn't even glance at Fu Lin, which made Fu Lin sigh helplessly. After thinking for a moment, he changed his words and said, "Do you know that in the human realm, if you want to win a girl's heart, you need to make a betrothal and marry her in a proper ceremony?"
At this point, Xuan Ye finally gave Fu Lin a look, and Fu Lin continued, "I am her master. Do you think I will affect this matter? I'll find you a place to stay. There are plenty of people here to take care of her."
Xuan Ye glanced at Fu Lin and asked calmly, "Do you think I only arrived here today?"
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